


let's do the time warp again

by coldairballoons



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Aftermath of Time Travel, Chronic Illness, It's My Time Travel Fanfiction And I Get To Choose The Mechanisms For It, M/M, Polyamory, Secrets, Time Travel, Time Travelling Karl Jacobs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:09:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29837217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldairballoons/pseuds/coldairballoons
Summary: Karl Jacobs is a time traveler, a fact known only to himself... his fiances are none the wiser.(Title from "Time Warp" from the Rocky Horror Picture Show)***This fic is based on their roleplay characters from Dream SMP, NOT the content creators themselves.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Comments: 12
Kudos: 130





	1. it's just a jump to the left

**Author's Note:**

> It's my time travel indulgence fic and I get to choose the mechanics and side effects of said time travel. Anyways, this is entirely based on my own personal theories about time travel and how one would be effected by it and /y'know this is not the place for a ramble, please go about your day./
> 
> Also, please appreciate my comedic gold title/chapter titles.

It happened every time he opened his eyes after a trip. His vision would blur, his head starting to spin, as though he’d just stood far too quickly. His entire body would feel a crushing pressure, seemingly shoving him down into the floor, so forcefully it was a wonder the ground beneath his feet wasn’t cracking. His eyes would burn, as though he had stared too long into the sun, but he knew for a moment that it wasn’t time to shut his eyes. 

Shutting his eyes during what he’d taken to calling the “flares” would cause the jump, the temporal distortion… the time travel. And all Karl Jacobs wanted was to spend a peaceful Saturday with his fiances, picnicking outside in the spring warmth and sunshine. In any other circumstance, it would be a beautiful day.

However, with Karl’s fingers tingling, that familiar precursor to the inevitable, he knew it would go horribly wrong. As much as he wanted--no,  _ needed _ \--to control this, he just… couldn’t, and at the moment, all he could do was lay with his eyes firmly open, staring at the grass as though it was the most fascinating thing in all of existence. 

Quackity and Sapnap were chatting contentedly, a chain of wildflowers being formed between the two. The duck hybrid already donned his own crown of flowers, beautiful bluebonnets that encircled his head, despite the beanie already atop it, but the two were working on a matching crown for Sap. Karl, on the other hand, hardly noticed them.

“It’s just a migraine.” Karl had assured them as they set up the picnic blanket on the perfectly green grass, Quackity looking at him, concerned. “Really. I just need to lay down for a bit, then I’m good as gold.”

His fiance frowned, looking back over to their, well,  _ other _ fiance, who was toting a basket filled with various snacks. “We could get you something to eat, that might improve-”

Karl winced--the memory of what had happened the last time he’d eaten before a jump was still vivid, and he could practically taste that sawdusty, grainy texture that had appeared in his mouth as  _ he _ appeared in a new time. Rather than expressing that, however, he just shrugged. “I’m alright. It’ll pass.”

“If you’re sure.” Sapnap panted, setting the basket down and raising hand to his forehead to wipe away a bead of sweat. “Again, we can always go home…”

If worrying them with this was bad, the thought of ruining their day with his own secrets made it infinitely worse. “No. No, let’s stay, Sappy.”

His partner melted at that, and Karl gave him a smile, then Quackity. “...now, I believe a picnic is in order, my loves?”

Not even an hour ago, Karl had been so sure that it would pass. His body and mind did this, sometimes, the false-beginnings of a jump. Sometimes, it would pass like a migraine, but other times…

No, now, he could feel his body starting to flicker, but he willed his eyes open further. He had to keep his eyes open, he had to, if he blinked, he would be gone, and his fiances would be even more worried. Just… keep them open, Karl…

“Hon?” Quackity frowned, looking over at the reclining Karl, whose arms were hugging his stomach, whose eyes were welling up with tears from the effort to keep them open. “Karl? Holy shit, babes-”

“I’m-” Karl started, but gritted his teeth as the first wave of the jump started to wash over him, rising from his toes to his stomach to his chest, his throat, his head, his eyes.... It would go in three stages, he knew, and between them all, he wouldn’t have time to explain, all he could do was pray that he would appear back at the same time, in the same place, with the same people, the same  _ him _ … “Quackers, Sappy, I-”

The second wave started, coming from his stomach instead, and he cried out as he tried to stay anchored, trying desperately to avoid the inevitable jump. His fiances, they had set down the flowers and were trying to look over him as he convulsed… god, Sap’s face was so  _ horrified _ …

“I can time travel and I can’t control it and I love-” Karl started, but the third wave washed over him, expanding from his chest, and all he could do was squeeze his eyes shut and fall into endless nothingness.


	2. and then a step to the right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha time travel boy go brrrrrrr (brrrrrrr)

The whole “waking up” part, in Karl’s humble opinion, was bullshit. First of all, if he was just waking up, wouldn’t he be rested, rather than feeling like he would pass out again? And secondly, when he reappeared back in his own time, it wasn’t anything like the stories said--flickering down, fully formed, through a vortex or something equally as dramatic.

He’d started referring to his trips as “jumps” for two very important reasons--the first, that he quite literally jumped through time, and the second… 

Every time he would experience a jump, his body would tense, as if preparing to leap up into the air. The release, that moment of flickering, like a television that hadn’t quite powered on after a storm, was somehow even worse, like that moment you jump into the air and just  _ know _ you’ll fall face-first onto the ground. 

And the falling, the reappearance back in his own time… it happened so quickly. One moment, he wasn’t there at all, and the next, he was. It was simple, not showy or flashy like everyone wanted to pretend it was. But the  _ feeling _ he felt while reappearing… his stomach and heart would feel like they had leapt up into his throat, that same feeling of when he was a kid, and fell out of that tree.

The falling, the knowledge that he  _ would _ fall, he  _ would _ hit the ground… 

The pain afterwards was almost bliss in comparison to that dread in every inch of his being.

Karl flickered back into existence, and immediately, his entire body  _ ached _ . His limbs felt like they were on fire, he couldn’t move, didn’t dare re-open his eyes, all he could do was wait. He didn’t know what time it was, whether his fiances were here or not, he couldn’t hear anything over the blood rushing in his head.

“-rl. Karl? Karl, baby?” He barely heard Quackity’s voice… or was it Sapnap’s? He couldn’t figure it out, not really, but it was someone, and that someone was touching his arm, and he couldn’t breathe, because it was stifling… 

But his fingers started to cool down first. The process  _ out _ of the fall was one of relaxation, as though he was being washed over with cool water, and eventually, after some amount of time--it could have been seconds, minutes, hours or  _ years _ for all he knew--he could finally relax, opening his eyes slightly to see the worried faces of his fiances looking down at him. 

His throat and mouth were dry, but he managed a weak smile. “Surprise.” Karl croaked, his voice hoarser than it seemingly had ever been. Usually, he didn’t talk after a jump, so it was no surprise that this would be different.

“What-” Quackity started, taking Karl’s hand, and Karl squeezed lightly, before shaking his head. “I’ll explain… later.”

“You just... disappeared.” He turned his head to see Sapnap, a hand on Quackity’s shoulders. Both of his partners looked so worried, and with a shock, it registered to Karl that  _ he _ was the reason they looked so distraught, so stressed…

Karl struggled to sit up, shutting his eyes again as the usual dizziness started to overwhelm him. “I… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I- I just forgot, there’s… a lot that goes  _ into _ this… this… thing.”

Quackity laughed softly, and helped Karl sit up, letting him lean against his shoulder. “Don’t be sorry, dumbass.” He said, wrapping one of his arms around Karl’s side. “Just… tell us, when you’re ready, okay?”

Sapnap nodded, leaning forward from behind them to wrap his arms around both of his fiances. “We won’t push, because… this seems like it’s hard for you.”

“It is.”

“So, we’ll just trust your judgement and timing about telling us, okay?”

Karl nodded, letting his tense shoulders finally relax, and he all but melted against his partners. “...okay.” Another realization hit him-- _ I just left them alone for God knows how long, they’re probably furious with me… _ \--and he forced his eyes open, turning to look at them. “Look, Sappy, Quackers… I’m so sorry, you… have every right to be mad at me.”

Sapnap frowned, pushing a bit of hair off of Karl’s forehead, and he tried not to let his heart leap at the gesture. “What for?”

“I-” He frowned as well. “I…  _ left _ you, I’ve lied to you, you don’t know some of the most important things about me…”

“Do you seriously think we’d love you less because you can time travel?” Quackity took Karl’s hand, holding it tightly, and it was then that he realized that he was still shaking… Quack could probably feel it, and Karl momentarily panicked-- “You’re okay, babes. We’re not…  _ I’m _ not mad for that, okay?”

“I’m not either.” Sapnap said, taking Karl’s other hand. “We’ll figure this out together, okay? You don’t have to be alone with this anymore, hon, you’ve got us.”

And, for once, Karl believed it.

**Author's Note:**

> Ayyy, my first work for the DSMP fandom! Very funky, very fresh, very pog. Please come chat on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok... anything, really, I'm under the same handle everywhere because [hair toss] I'm just cool like that.


End file.
